Programs

CES/CESEF Student and Emerging Evaluator advancing Knowledge (SEEK) Award

Overview

The Student and Emerging Evaluator advancing Knowledge (SEEK) Award builds on the previous Student Paper Contest and earlier versions of the SEEK award, and recognizes student and emerging evaluator excellence contributing to the advancement of evaluation theory and/or practice. SEEK is a joint initiative of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) and the Canadian Evaluation Society Educational Fund (CESEF) designed to foster student and emerging evaluator engagement in evaluation, profile evaluation-related work conducted by students and emerging evaluators.

Benefits

The SEEK Award honours up to two exemplary submissions per year. When the CES annual conference is in-person: One SEEK award will be offered. When the CES annual conference is online: Up to two SEEK awards will be offered of one finalist and one runner-up.

2026 SEEK Award Winner

• Cash award of $500.00;
• Reimbursement of up to $1,500 for domestic travel, accommodation, and meals to attend the annual national Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Conference*, in accordance with CES travel guidelines;
• CES student membership and conference registration;
• Presentation of Award at a plenary session at the CES Conference;
• Publication of project abstract in a CES Web news broadcast;
• Invitation to present a paper session at the CES Conference;
• Invitation to meet the CESEF Board of Directors; and
• Mentorship to prepare a practice note for the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (CJPE) based on the work submitted for the SEEK award

The SEEK Award is intended to increase evaluation capacity in Canada by fostering student and emerging evaluator involvement, profiling new and exceptional contributions to the field, considering diverse contributions that advance evaluation theory and/or practice, and providing exposure to promising students.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be registered at the time of application as a full- or part-time student in a Canadian post-secondary institution OR have entered the field of evaluation in the last five years and be working in Canada/ for a Canadian organization
• Submit a paper of no more than 3,000 words focusing on a subject of importance to evaluation practice. Papers should focus on innovative practices or lessons learned that will be of interest to the field of evaluation. They should not simply summarize or share the findings of an evaluation

Individual or multi-author will be considered. In the case of multi-author projects, the cash award is shared. If a group project is selected to receive a SEEK Award, one member of the group will be financially supported to attend the CES Conference and receive the Award on behalf of the group.

Papers can be submitted in English or French.

Applicants are permitted to use the tools they have available to them, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools. However, the use of AI must be declared in the application. In addition, the named applicant(s) is (are) ultimately accountable for the complete contents of their application.

Applications

Applicants must send the completed Application Form and the paper to seek@cesef.ca by February 13, 2026. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged.

The application form can be downloaded here: SEEK Application Form_E_2026.docx

Review & Decision Process
Applications are peer-reviewed by a selection panel appointed by the Board of CESEF. Funding recommendations of the panel are presented to representatives of the CESEF Board and CES National Council for final approval.

Papers will be assessed based on the significance of the topic, the innovation present in the paper, effectiveness of communication, quality of the work, and potential for the work to be published in the CJPE. 

Key review criteria include:

• Significance of the topic: Does the paper, for example, introduce a new idea, present an innovative application of a method, propose a solution to a challenge?
• Clarity of the work: Are research objectives, motivations, findings/results and conclusions clear to the reader?
• Scholarship: Does the paper demonstrate strong knowledge and understanding of evaluation and the methods/approaches/theories that it is exploring?
• Potential for the work to be published in the CJPE.

The application identifies some key areas of interest to the CES and its membership. While it is not mandatory to address one of these areas in your submission, papers that address one or more of these areas may be prioritized in the event of a tie.

Decisions by the CESEF Board and CES National Council will take into consideration the recommendations of the selection panel and the availability of resources. All decisions are final.

SEEK Award recipients will be required to sign a letter of acceptance.

Past SEEK Winners